Garden Planner, Jan. 4

Jan. 3, 2014

Written by

Stephanie Bruner

Special to the Register

This week

• The new year is a good time to review what went well in the garden last year and what you’d like to improve. Sometimes when the list of things to improve is long, it can seem overwhelming, so take time now to pick your top priorities. Many people like to start new landscaping projects by their front door — that’s usually an area that’s visible from the street, and it’s an area you’ll see yourself several times a day. Think about some new containers or new low-maintenance plants that will look good year-round by the front door. One caution: Take time to do a little research and find out how big any plants you want will get, and be sure there’s room for the full-sized plant in the area you’re considering.

• Do a quick tour of your garden every couple of days to make sure that rabbits aren’t damaging the trunks of shrubs or new, young trees.

• If you’re feeding the birds, keep feeders and water sources clean to prevent the spread of disease.

This month

• When you’re looking at seed catalogs and deciding on new vegetable choices for next summer, choose ones with better disease or insect resistance.

• Make sure your houseplants aren’t sitting in a cold draft from a window or door, or a hot draft from a heat source. And keep them far enough from windows that the leaves can’t freeze to the glass.

• Don’t forget to turn your houseplants toward the sun to keep them full and even all the way around.

Stephanie Bruner is a freelance writer from Des Moines who has a degree in horticulture.